Siding Installation Spacer and Method of Installing Siding Using A Siding Installation Spacer

ABSTRACT

A method for installing siding on building sheathing includes providing a spacer including an aperture extending therethrough, the spacer having a thickness, locating the spacer between an exterior face of the building sheathing and a rear face of the siding such that the aperture is aligned with a slot in the siding and the siding is spaced apart from the sheathing by the thickness of the spacer, and inserting a fastener through the slot and the aperture such that the fastener is embedded in the sheathing.

BACKGROUND

It is well known that many siding systems; such as vinyl and aluminum siding, are not completely watertight. Consequently, provisions must be made to protect the underlying exterior sheathing of a building from water that gets behind the siding, particularly because the sheathing is usually made from a wood-based product. Many building codes now require that a breathable waterproof barrier, such as Tyvek®, be provided between the exterior sheathing and the siding, in order to prevent the sheathing from becoming wet and remaining wet which could lead to rotting and/or molding. Even with a waterproof barrier, and particularly in cases without such a barrier, there must be a passage through which water that gets behind the siding can flow downward along the exterior sheathing and out the bottom of the wall so that the water is not trapped between the siding and the exterior sheathing. Some newer building codes, particularly those in areas with high precipitation such as the northwestern United'States, Canada, and some parts of Europe now require that an air-gap be created between the sheathing and the siding for that purpose.

SUMMARY

A method is provided for installing siding on building sheathing. The method includes providing a spacer including an aperture extending therethrough, the spacer having a thickness, locating the spacer between an exterior face of the building sheathing and a rear face of the siding such that the aperture is aligned with a slot in the siding and the siding is spaced apart from the sheathing by the thickness of the spacer, and inserting a fastener through the slot and the aperture such that the fastener is embedded in the sheathing.

A siding installation spacer is provided for spacing an exterior facade panel away from an exterior face of building sheathing. The spacer includes a rear surface for contacting the exterior face of building sheathing and a front surface for contacting a rear face of façade panel. A support structure joins the rear surface and the front surface, the structure having a thickness from the front surface to the rear surface such that the facade is spaced apart from the sheathing by the thickness. An aperture extends through the spacer from the rear surface to the front surface for passage of a fastener to secure the siding or the spacer to the sheathing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing a prior art system wherein furring strips are used to space siding apart from an exterior wall surface.

FIGS. 2-4 are photographs showing an embodiment of the inventive system wherein siding installation spacers are used to space siding apart from an exterior wall surface.

FIG. 5 is a photograph showing an embodiment of the inventive system wherein siding installation spacers are used to space a starter strip apart from an exterior wall surface.

FIGS. 6A-6D are a top view, a top perspective view, a bottom perspective view, and a side view, respectively, showing an embodiment of a siding installation spacer.

FIGS. 7A-7G are a front view, a left side cross-sectional view, a top view, a bottom cross-sectional view, a right side view, a top perspective view, and a bottom perspective view, respectively, of an embodiment of a siding installation spacer.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are photographs showing a bottom perspective view and a top perspective view, respectively, of an embodiment of a siding installation spacer having a circular shape.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are a top perspective view and a bottom perspective view, respectively, of an embodiment of a siding installation spacer having a square shape.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 depicts a prior art system using wooden furring strips to space the siding apart from the sheathing. The furring strips are mounted vertically and extend along the entire height of the wall. The furring strips must be completely installed before beginning the siding installation, which requires a worker to go up and down a ladder or scaffolding, and to reposition the ladder, several times to first install the furring strips, and then to do so again to install the siding. Therefore, a considerable amount of work time and effort is expended to install the furring strips before the siding can even be started, resulting in significant inefficiencies (and costs to the home builder who may or may not be able to pass the costs along the home purchaser).

Additionally, because the furring strips are mounted in fixed locations (e.g., spaced apart by 8 inches or 16 inches), a worker is thus limited as to where nails may be placed for mounting the siding. The limited mounting locations may be particularly problematic in situations where high wind load conditions make it necessary or desirable to use a greater number of, and/or more closely spaced, fasteners to secure the siding to the sheathing, as well as when installing siding around Windows and doors and other openings or irregularities in the exterior wall of a building. Further, because furring strips are typically made from wood, the furring strips themselves may be prone to the same rotting and/or molding as the sheathing that the furring strip installation is intended to protect. Also, more hardware is required to install a furring strip system, since the furring strips are first separately nailed to the sheathing and then the siding is nailed to the furring strips.

A siding installation spacer is provided for spacing an exterior facade panel or siding (hereinafter referred to as siding) away from the exterior face of building sheathing. The spacer includes a rear surface for contacting an exterior face of building sheathing, a front surface for contacting a rear face of siding, a support structure joining the rear surface and the front surface, and an aperture extending through the spacer from the rear surface to the front surface for passage of a fastener to secure the siding or the spacer to the sheathing. The structure has a thickness (from the front to the rear surface) such that the siding is spaced apart from the sheathing by the thickness of the spacer.

The rear surface and the front surface of the spacer each have a perimeter, and the structure includes a core bounding the aperture so as to define a tubular channel between the front surface and the rear surface. The support structure includes a sidewall extending around the respectively perimeters of the rear surface and the front surface. In one embodiment, the spacer structure further includes a plurality of spokes extending radially outwardly from the core to the sidewall. In another embodiment, the spacer structure further includes a plurality of ribs extending radially outward from the sidewall. In yet another embodiment, the rear surface perimeter is larger than the front surface perimeter such that the sidewall tapers radially outwardly from the front to the rear. In a further embodiment, the spacer has a diameter and a thickness such that the diameter is approximately twice the thickness. The spacer can be hollow or solid.

The aperture in the spacer is sized to permit lateral movement of the spacer with respect to the fastener. In one embodiment, the aperture is wider adjacent to the front surface and narrower adjacent to the rear surface in order to aid in the insertion of a fastener such as a nail or screw.

The perimeters of the rear and front surfaces and the sidewall preferably have a shape that allows water to freely drain regardless the orientation of the spacer. In one embodiment, the perimeters of the rear and front surfaces are substantially circular. However, it is envisioned that other shapes can be used, including triangular, square, or oval. The shape is preferably selected to shed water downward and away from the spacer.

A method for installing siding on the exterior face of building sheathing includes providing a spacer having a thickness and an aperture extending therethrough, disposing a spacer between the exterior face of the sheathing and a rear face of the siding such that the aperture is aligned with a slot in the siding and the siding is spaced apart from the sheathing by the thickness, and inserting a fastener through the slot and the aperture such that the fastener is embedded in the sheathing.

FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are photographs showing an exemplary installation of siding 110 on an exterior face of sheathing 100 using an embodiment of a siding installation spacer 10. The detailed construction of an embodiment of the spacer 10 is shown in FIGS. 6A-6D and 7A-7G. The spacer 10 has a front surface 12 adapted to be positioned against a rear face of the siding 110 and a rear surface 14 adapted to be positioned against the exterior face of the sheathing 110. Each of the front surface 12 and the rear surface 14 can be solid or partially open, and each has a perimeter. An aperture 18 extends through the spacer 10 from the front surface 12 to the rear surface 14. A support structure 30 is interposed between the front surface 12 and the rear surface 14. The structure 30 has a thickness such that the surfaces 12 and 14 are spaced apart from each other by a distance approximately equal to the thickness.

As depicted, the structure 30 includes a side wall 16 extending around the respective perimeters of the front surface 12 and the rear surface 14. The structure also includes a core 32 bounding the aperture 18 and spanning between the front surface 12 and the rear surface 14. To provide further structural integrity of the spacer 10, spokes 34 extend radially outward from the core 32 to the side wall 16 and are preferably affixed to at least one of the front surface 12 and the rear surface 14 of the spacer. In the depicted embodiment, the front face 12 is generally solid and the rear surface 14 is generally open so that the core 32 and the spokes 34 are exposed through the rear of the spacer 10. The geometry of the depicted spacer 10 allows for the spacer 10 to be readily injection molded out of a plastic material. Alternatively, the spacer 10 can be made from a solid disk of plastic, treated wood, aluminum, or other material adapted to hold up to exposure to moisture.

As shown particularly, in FIGS. 7A-7E, the spacer 10 further includes raised ribs 36 extending radially outward from the sidewall 16 to provide a gripping surface to facilitate handling of the spacer 10 by a worker. Additionally, to improve structural stability and to facilitate shedding of water around the spacer 10, the size of the front surface 12 can be slightly smaller than the size of the rear surface 14 such that the side wall 16 tapers slightly in a radially outward direction from front to rear.

As shown, the spacers 10 are generally circular in shape and space the siding 110 apart from the sheathing 100 by a thickness of the spacers 10. The spacers 10 each have a diameter of approximately twice the thickness. The siding 110 is mounted to the sheathing 10 using a plurality of fasteners 120, with one fastener 120 being received through a slot 112 in the siding 110 and through the aperture 18 in a corresponding spacer 10. Typically, the fastener 120 is a nail with a head too large to fit through the slot 112. In one embodiment, a 2 inch standard roofing nail can be used in place of the 1.5 inch standard roofing nails that are often used to hang siding 110 without spacers 10. The aperture 18 is sized to be larger in diameter than the shank of the fastener 120 so as to allow for shifting of the siding 110 due to thermal expansion and contraction, and in response to wind and scaling of the building.

In the embodiment shown particularly in FIGS. 7B and 7D, the aperture 18 has a stepped surface or counterbore bounded by the core 32. In particular, the aperture 18 includes a narrow bore 26 located toward the rear of the spacer 10, a tapered section 24 connecting the narrow bore 26 to a larger bore 22, and a further tapered section 20 connecting the larger bore 22 to the front surface of the spacer 10. The stepped aperture 18 assists a worker in installing the siding 110 with a spacer 10 by aligning each fastener 120 as the fastener 120 is inserted through the slot 112 in the siding 110 and then through the aperture 18. Also, the stepped or counterbore aperture 18 facilitates removal of the spacer 10 from a mold when the spacer is an injection-molded plastic part. Further, the stepped aperture 18 helps a worker to install the spacer 10, but providing a tapered section 20 and larger bore 22 that are easier to find with a fastener 120 combined with a narrower bore 26 that locates the spacer 10 optimally behind the siding 110. The spacer also can include a slight recessed area 28 where the spokes 34 do not extend all the way to the rear surface of the spacer 10, enabling any water than may get behind the spacer 10 to more readily drain out.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7A-7G, the spacer 10 has a thickness of about 0.74 inches and a diameter of about 1.52 inches. Most building codes require that the spacer 10 be ¾″ thick to match up with the thickness of a standard furring strip. In addition, the diameter of the spacer 10 can be varied as required to facilitate handling by a worker. The aperture 18 has a minimum diameter of about 0.165 inches at the rear surface 14 and a maximum diameter of about 0.465 inches at the front surface 12.

As is shown in FIGS. 2-4, the siding 110 includes many more slots 112 than are needed for mounting in a typical installation, so that a fastener 120 may be used in approximately every third slot. Accordingly, in a prior art system as shown in FIG. 1, the furring strips are located to be aligned with every third slot 112. This presents problems in installations where more closely spaced fasteners 120 may be needed due to high wind loadings, or where fasteners 120 may be need at locations away from where the furring strips are place, such as around openings in the exterior wall (e.g., windows, doors, ventilation openings).

To install siding 110 using the spacers 10, no preparatory work is required as far as aligning furring strips. First, as shown in FIG. 5, a starter strip 130 is installed at or near the base of the wall. The use of starter strips for installing siding is well known in the art. However, in the present system, the starter strip 130 is spaced apart from the exterior face of the sheathing 100 by spacers 10. First, the desired height of the starter strip 130 is determined, and a fastener 120 is inserted through an slot 112 in the starter strip and through the aperture 18 in a spacer 10, and is driven into the sheathing 100. For example, if the fastener 120 is a nail, the aperture 18 of the spacer 10 is aligned with a corresponding slot 112 of the starter strip and the fastener 120 is hammered through the slot 112 and the aperture 18 and into the sheathing 100. Then, the starter strip 130 is leveled and a second fastener 120 is installed through a second slot 112 and a second spacer 10. Additional fasteners 120 can be installed using additional spacers 10, until the appropriate number of fasteners 120 has been installed.

Next, a panel of siding 110 is installed, working upward from the starter strip 130. Depending on the type of panel being attached the panel is either slid upward or downward to engage the strip. Each panel of siding 110 has an upper end including a fastening flange (e.g., a nailing flange) with slots for receiving fasteners 120 and a lower end adapted to hook onto the upper end of another panel of siding 110 or onto a starter strip 130. Accordingly, a panel of siding 110 is hooked onto the starter strip 130, a spacer 10 is aligned with a slot 112, and a fastener 120 is driven through the slot 112 and the aperture 18 of the spacer 10 to secure the sliding 110 in position. Additional fasteners 120 and spacers 10 are installed as required. Successive panels of siding 110 can then be installed using the same procedure, working up the sheathing 100 toward the top of the building:

The depicted spacers 10 are generally cylindrical in shape, having a substantially circular front surface 12 and a substantially circular rear surface 14 joined by a slightly tapered side wall 16. A spacer 10 having a generally cylindrical shape is advantageous because it is symmetrical about the aperture 18 so that it can be installed in any orientation, and because the curvature of the spacer 10 allows it to shed any water than may get behind the siding 110 and in front of the sheathing 100. However, it is understood that the spacer 10 can be of any geometric shape, including but not limited to oval, triangular, square, hexagonal, octagonal, and any other multifaceted geometric shape. For example, FIGS. 9 and 10 shown a spacer 210 having a generally square shape.

Various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A method for installing siding on building sheathing, the method comprising: providing a spacer including an aperture extending therethrough, the spacer having a thickness; locating the spacer between an exterior face of the building sheathing and a rear face of the siding such that the aperture is aligned with a slot in the siding and the siding is spaced apart from the sheathing by the thickness of the spacer; and inserting a fastener through the slot and the aperture such that the fastener is embedded in the sheathing.
 2. The method of claim 1, the spacer further including a rear surface for contacting the exterior face of the building sheathing, a front surface for contacting the rear face of the siding, and a support structure joining the rear surface and the front surface.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the rear surface and the front surface of the spacer each have a perimeter, and the structure includes a core bounding the aperture so as to define a tubular channel between the front surface and the rear surface.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the support structure includes a sidewall extending around the respectively perimeters of the rear surface and the front surface.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein support structure further includes a plurality of spokes extending radially outwardly from the core to the sidewall.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the support structure further includes a plurality of ribs extending radially outward from the sidewall.
 7. The method of claim 4, wherein the rear surface perimeter is larger than the front surface perimeter such that the sidewall tapers radially outwardly from the front to the rear.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the spacer has a diameter of approximately twice the thickness.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the spacer is solid.
 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sizing the aperture to permit lateral movement of the spacer with respect to the fastener.
 11. The method of claim 2, further comprising tapering the aperture such that the aperture is wider adjacent to the front surface and narrower adjacent to the rear surface in order to aid in the insertion of a fastener such as a nail or screw.
 12. The method of claim 2, wherein the perimeters of the rear and front surfaces and the sidewall have a shape that allows water to freely drain regardless the orientation of the spacer.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the perimeters of the rear and front surfaces are selected from the group consisting of substantially circular, substantially triangular, substantially square, and substantially oval.
 14. A siding installation spacer for spacing an exterior facade panel away from an exterior face of building sheathing, the spacer comprising: a rear surface for contacting the exterior face of building sheathing; a front surface for contacting a rear face of façade panel; a support structure joining the rear surface and the front surface, the structure having a thickness from the front surface to the rear surface such that the facade is spaced apart from the sheathing by the thickness; and an aperture extending through the spacer from the rear surface to the front surface for passage of a fastener to secure the siding or the spacer to the sheathing. 